| Nine for IX | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Sports documentary |
| Directed by | various |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 9 Shorts: 7[1] |
| Production | |
| Producers | Robin Roberts Jane Rosenthal[2] |
| Original release | |
| Network | ESPN |
| Release | July 2 (2013-07-02) – August 27, 2013 (2013-08-27) |
| Related | |
| 30 for 30 | |
Nine for IX is the title for a series of documentary films which aired onESPN. The documentaries were produced byESPN Films in conjunction with espnW, and were intended to have the same creative, story-driven aspect as ESPN Films' other series,30 for 30, with the series focusing on captivating stories of women in sports told through the lens of female filmmakers.[2] The series' name is inspired byTitle IX, federal civil rights legislation passed in 1972 that prohibiteddiscrimination on the basis of sex in educational institutions receiving federal aid; Title IX has also been regarded as helping to expand women's and girls' access to athletic opportunities. The first film,Venus Vs., premiered on July 2, 2013.
The following films are all 60 minutes in length (including commercials).
| No. | Title | Directed by | Original release date | US viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Venus Vs. | Ava DuVernay | July 2, 2013 (2013-07-02) | 0.460[3] | |
A look at a significant victoryVenus Williams earned off the tennis court: the fight to have women competitors earn the same winnings as men at theFrench Open andWimbledon. | |||||
| 2 | Pat XO | Lisa Lax and Nancy Stern Winter | July 9, 2013 (2013-07-09) | 0.311[4] | |
An in-depth look at the legendary career ofPat Summitt,University of TennesseeLady Vols basketball coach, and her new battle against early-onsetAlzheimer's. | |||||
| 3 | Let Them Wear Towels | Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg | July 16, 2013 (2013-07-16) | 0.197[5] | |
The efforts ofMelissa Ludtke,Lisa Olson, and other pioneering female sports journalists to gain equal access with their male brethren to the intimidating sanctum of the all-male sports locker room. | |||||
| 4 | No Limits | Alison Ellwood | July 23, 2013 (2013-07-23) | 0.400[6] | |
An exploration of the life of world-classfreediverAudrey Mestre and the events leading up to the dive that ultimately took her life. | |||||
| 5 | Swoopes | Hannah Storm | July 30, 2013 (2013-07-30) | 0.397[7] | |
The life ofSheryl Swoopes, whose basketball accomplishments led her to be labeled as "the femaleMichael Jordan," but who also defied labels in terms of athletic longevity (playing into her 40s) and sexuality (one of the first high-profile athletes tocome out of the closet). | |||||
| 6 | The Diplomat | Jennifer Arnold andSenain Kheshgi | August 6, 2013 (2013-08-06) | 0.437[8] | |
Katarina Witt was one ofEast Germany's most successful athletes, enduring constant surveillance by theStasi, but also faced great changes after the fall of theBerlin Wall. | |||||
| 7 | Runner | Shola Lynch | August 13, 2013 (2013-08-13) | 0.548[9] | |
HowMary Decker became one of the greatest distance runners of the 1970s and 80s, and how a crushing experience at the1984 Olympics defined her career. | |||||
| 8 | The '99ers | Erin Leyden | August 20, 2013 (2013-08-20) | 0.491[10] | |
Intimate behind-the-scenes footage (shot by the players themselves) details the story of theUnited States women's national soccer team, whose championship performance at the1999 World Cup served as the inspiring touchstone for women's soccer and women's athletics as a whole. | |||||
| 9 | Branded | Heidi Ewing andRachel Grady | August 27, 2013 (2013-08-27) | 0.633[11] | |
How some women athletes, in particular tennis playerAnna Kournikova, feel the need to emphasize sex-appeal attractiveness in an effort to advance their standing in the sports and marketing worlds. | |||||
After the first short aired with the full-length films, six additional short films were created, to begin airing in June 2014. The third, fourth, fifth, and sixth shorts debuted at the 2014Los Angeles Film Festival on June 17, before airing with the additional shorts on espnW.com. Additionally, allNine for IX Shorts aired back-to-back on August 2, 2014, on ESPN.[1]
| No. | Title | Directed by | Original release date | Length (mins) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coach | Bess Kargman | June 18, 2013 (2013-06-18) | 17:00 | |
A look atRutgers women's basketball coachC. Vivian Stringer, and how she handled on-court pressure and off-court adversity after racial slurs were directed at her players. | |||||
| 2 | Love & Payne | Hannah Storm | June 4, 2014 (2014-06-04) | 12:30 | |
Tracey Stewart offers an intimate, personal, and poignant glimpse of her relationship with her late husband, golferPayne Stewart. | |||||
| 3 | Rowdy Ronda Rousey | Nadine Mundo and Rena Mundo Croshere | July 28, 2014 (2014-07-28) | 14:00 | |
A look at the life ofRonda Rousey, and how her victory in a 2013UFC title fight helped her pave the way for women inmixed martial arts. | |||||
| 4 | Think Normal | Nikki Reed | July 29, 2014 (2014-07-29) | 16:30 | |
| 5 | Brittney Griner: Lifesize | Melissa Johnson | July 30, 2014 (2014-07-30) | 16:00 | |
HowBrittney Griner went from celebrated kid to self-reliant adult in her basketball career. | |||||
| 6 | Uncharted Waters | Tina Carbone | July 31, 2014 (2014-07-31) | 16:15 | |
The story ofAmerica³, which in 1995 raced with an initially all-female crew, the first such team in the history of theAmerica's Cup yachting competition. | |||||
| 7 | Play A Round With Me | Jessica Wolfson | August 1, 2014 (2014-08-01) | 11:15 | |
HowJan Stephenson used sex appeal and charisma to become a star in women's golf, yet tried to prove she was more than just a pretty face. | |||||